


Dynamics

by catsoo12



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, M/M, happy end tho??, i love angst too much I'm sorry, parental expectations suck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-08
Updated: 2015-06-28
Packaged: 2018-08-28 10:15:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8441821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catsoo12/pseuds/catsoo12
Summary: Minseok has a small crush on the lead singer and guitarist of 'The Bandits', Luhan. But with the pressure from his parents always on his shoulders, how will it turn out?





	1. Dynamics

**Author's Note:**

> In music, dynamics normally refers to the volume of a sound or note, but can also refer to every aspect of the execution of a given piece, either stylistic (staccato, legato etc.) or functional (velocity). The term is also applied to the written or printed musical notation used to indicate dynamics.

It was a normal day at the café for Minseok. He had started this job when he had just turned 18 to pay for his new life.

He loved the atmosphere that was perfect for him to write his songs and to be himself without his parents watching.

And now he was 24 and working the night shifts at the café. Most people thought it was café, which it certainly was, but those people didn’t know that the café opened at night twice a week as a bar for the young and hip.

And Minseok didn’t mind the late nights at all.

He loved seeing the local bands perform with their homemade line-ups and he loved it when he came home late with his ears ringing from the heavy bass.

It made him feel alive.

The music and the crowds were all ways to forget what he calls his life. It used to be much worse when he lived with his parents who, unable to accept Minseok and his choices, had made him feel unwelcome in his own home.

It was during those powerful performances that Minseok was able to forget that he had to call his mother after work and hear her speech for the millionth time that he should come home.

But his parents’ house wasn’t his home. Not anymore. And Minseok was beginning to think that it had never been.

And sometimes, Minseok would take particular enjoyment from a certain band that played there every other Friday.

They called themselves ‘The Bandits’ and Minseok had taken a particular liking to the main singer; who he later learnt was named Luhan.

The band was your average band and was obviously arranged during sweaty teenage years filled with anxiety and hormones. But it worked.

They had a tall gangly man with a bright smile as the drummer, a man with a sharp and angled face as bass guitarist, and wide-eyed man whose main hobby seemed to be frowning as backing vocals and second guitar.

The band performed well and Minseok enjoyed their original songs and covers but Minseok couldn’t forget the main guitarist and singer who captured the hearts of every girl in the café-turned-bar every night simply by existing.

Luhan with his kind smile, bright eyes, and button nose.

Luhan with his small greetings as Minseok opened the door to the bar for them to let them get setup before the night began.

Luhan with his small waist and his tousled hair.

Luhan who made Minseok feel sinful and guilty every other Friday from his constant gazes from afar.

It was not a risk Minseok was willing to take.

Minseok simply had too much on his plate when Luhan swung into his life.

The owner had passed away and her daughter had inherited the place and she was less than thrilled at inheriting the café and had immediately proposed selling the entire place to Minseok.

Minseok who spends half his week at Music College and can barely afford the pencils he needs to write on the sheet music provided by the college.

Naïve Minseok who ran away from home at 18 to follow his dreams and be himself but ended up becoming the student that falls asleep in the library studying the day before the big exam.

It was not a risk Minseok was willing to take.

And Minseok was content with the short few minutes in between performances when Luhan would sit at the bar and chat with Minseok.

Minseok could learn little bits about him whilst admiring the way the light made his hair shine and admire those pink lips.

Minseok wasn’t innocent. And Minseok didn’t want to scare away Luhan.

So he played the friends game. And when they exchanged numbers he hid his schoolboy excitement and released later in the comforts of his shower where his sinful whispers of Luhan’s name couldn’t be heard by anyone else but him.

Minseok was hopelessly in love.

\---

Minseok had always believed that some things are simply not meant to be. That some things should be left untouched.

Untainted.

As he grew closer with Luhan, Minseok had begun to understand all those poems written centuries ago about unrequited love.

He began to understand how torn they felt between going for it and leaving the other happy.

He began to crave Luhan’s smiles and laughter and wanted so much more. Minseok was never greedy but he could feel the greed within his stomach growing bigger by the day.

But he didn’t want to corrupt their pure friendship.

He didn’t want to risk losing those precious few minutes before Luhan’s show when they would talk over a latte or sometimes a cocktail of sorts. When Luhan would laugh and lightly hit his forearm.

Untainted.

He didn’t want to taint Luhan. He didn’t want to taint the friendship they had between them.

Minseok didn’t want to spoil those soft giggles that they exchanged late at night.

So when Luhan started visiting the café during the day too, and more often, he prepared for the worst.

\---

Minseok had just finished serving a cappuccino to a woman when he saw someone replace her as soon as she had left. He gave the man a crooked smile, “Hey there, sweet cheeks!”

Minseok was always careful with how he greeted him. If he looked too enthusiastic, Luhan could suspect something was wrong. But if he was too dismissive, he would lose Luhan completely.

Minseok was organised. He liked to think and plan.

But who follows plans when Luhan smiles?

He couldn’t hold back his joyous gummy smile and his casual flirting and if it bothered Luhan, he had never voiced it.

“Hi!” Luhan greeted with a bright smile and he sat down on the stool in front of the balcony. He offered Minseok a small wave and laughed as Minseok waved back with puffed cheeks.

It had become a bit of an everyday routine for Minseok and Luhan. They would meet at the café early in the morning and then have lunch at a random nearby restaurants and just talk about everything.

Minseok had learnt more about Luhan in the past few weeks than he knew about his own parents in the past few years. And he honestly loved that fact because it made him so happy to know that Luhan trusted him with so much of his past and soul.

But Minseok was still greedy and every time Luhan touched him, Minseok feared that Luhan would see the shivers that travel up his spine.

Like right no-

“Minseok, are you okay?” Luhan questioned with a small wave in front of Minseok’s eyes and a worried look in his eyes that were slightly covered by his fluffy fringe.

Minseok blinked, “Did you hear a word I said?” Luhan exclaimed, “I was telling you about this new gig I’ve got next week and I was wondering if- Are you okay? Seriously?” Luhan stopped in his tracks and grabbed Minseok’s hands and squeezed, as if trying to warm them.

Minseok hurried to create an appropriate answer than wasn’t the confession that he planned to never give but none came to him. It was only when Luhan’s face came too close for Minseok’s comfort that he was finally able to move his body to lightly push him away.

He almost missed it, but Minseok swore that he saw disappointment and sadness cross Luhan’s eyes for a fraction of a second. But he could’ve mistaken it for something else.

\---

And the days continued like so. They grew closer but never too close. Minseok made sure of that.

Although it was getting harder and harder to refuse each of Luhan’s flirtatious invitations to fancy dinners or a late night impromptu solo rehearsal.

“Come on! Don’t be such a spoil sport! Come watch me practise!” Luhan pleaded with plump lips in a pout and his hands around Minseok’s hands that were slowly beginning to sweat.

Minseok frowned for a second and then shook off Luhan’s hands and turned around in the balcony of the café, leaving his back turned towards a disheartened Luhan.

Luhan sighed and stood to leave when Minseok suddenly turned around and grabbed his wrists, “Who told you to leave?” Luhan noticed Minseok to be unusually breathless. So Luhan sat back down on the seat.

Minseok sighed, “I was just trying to find a day when I was free… I wasn’t rejecting this… this… Meeting.” He stumbled with his words and Luhan noticed that his voice sounded gentle and disbelieving.

Luhan grinned, “Friday a good day?”

Minseok nodded and returned Luhan’s with his own gummy smile, “Sounds great!”

\---

Luhan was humming as he lightly strummed the guitar to the familiar tune of ‘Billionaire’, one of Kyungsoo’s (that one guy in the band that always seemed to frown, Minseok later learnt) favourite songs.

He had his eyes closed and looked angelic in the dim lighting of Minseok’s apartment with small reflections from his glossy blonde hair from the LED lights above him.

Minseok was smiling slightly and moved from side to side with the beat and closed his eyes to fully appreciate the sounds emanating from the guitar. He failed to stop himself from singing along since he, too, loved the song.

He realised too late that he had been singing when the guitar strumming stopped and he abruptly opened his eyes to find Luhan grinning at him with a spark in his eyes.

“Oh my god… You should’ve told me you can sing! You’re amazing!” Luhan exclaimed as he put the guitar down to get closer to Minseok and grab his hands.

Minseok doesn’t know how this could be possible, but Luhan looked even more beautiful when he laughed. Others may have seen it as an ugly laugh, but Minseok loved the way his eyes crinkled in the corners and how his cheeks almost covered his eyes.

Luhan looked so happy and Minseok wanted him to stay that way so it didn’t take much convincing from Luhan for Minseok to turn up to band practise the next day, and the day after that.

In fact, Minseok wasn’t expecting to become an impromptu composer and editor for ‘The Bandits’ at all. And it was something that he thought he wouldn’t come to regret.

And why not indulge himself? Minseok had always been held down by his parents and only now was he tasting freedom. It seemed like the perfect opportunity for Minseok to get to know himself.

And maybe Luhan.

In fact, it was probably always because of Luhan.

\---

` **_Luhan:_ ** _You coming? We’re waiting for you. :)_ _xxx_ `

` **_Minseok:_ ** _Sorry, something came up. Don’t wait for me._ `

` **_Luhan:_ ** _You sure? Is everything okay? xxx_ `

` **_Minseok:_ ** _Yeah, it’s fine. It’s okay, I just can’t make today. Sorry._ `

` **_Luhan:_ ** _No worries! Call me if you need anything ;) xxx_ `

` **_Minseok:_ ** _Thanks :)_ `

It hurt Minseok to lie to Luhan.

But Minseok couldn’t tell him. Minseok couldn’t tell Luhan that the reason he couldn’t attend band practise was because Minseok was scared of his parents.

Minseok could only cook a dinner that he prayed would be good enough and wouldn’t make his mother angry and text Luhan secretly every time he went behind the fridge towards the cupboards.

Minseok had been so happy and besotted in the past 6 months that he had forgotten about his parents. He had forgotten the dangers.

So when his father called him whilst he was shopping yesterday to say that he’d be in town, Minseok knew that he had to offer accommodation. Whilst his parents were more than well-off, he knew that they enjoyed nosing around in Minseok’s life.

And now Minseok was stuck shallow-frying king prawns in a spicy sauce for the starters and deeply regretting ever being born.

“Minseok, dear!” her overly sweet voice sounded nasal and shrill to Minseok’s ears.

“Is it done yet? It’s very rude to make your parents wait!” she scolded loudly from her seat in the dining room in the room adjacent to the kitchen through an arched doorway.

Minseok could already tell without even looking that he probably needed to get out another bottle of wine.

“Nearly there, mother.” He spat the name and made a sour face. He had come to see them not as parents, but as his controllers.

They’ve always had this hold on him, since he was very young. When he wanted to go into singing classes when he had turned 10, they took him to extra maths class instead.

They would be gone for days on end, leaving him with a nanny and several textbooks and old literary classics for him to read through whilst they travelled the world.

And every time Minseok tried to escape their grasp, even for a little while, they would make him rethink his choices.

_“Really Minseok, singing classes? You know that only those who are talentless do that…”_

_“Make me proud, son. Who would be proud of a son who went to drama school?”_

_“That girl over there is so beautiful, isn’t she? Her parents own an international hotel business! She would be a good match, wouldn’t she Minseok?”_

_“Mother doesn’t like that, Minseok.”_

_“Father wouldn’t like it if Minseok did that…”_

_“Grow up and realise that the world will never love freaks like you. You need to realise what you’re saying hurts mother, Minseok.”_

_“I will never let you do that, Minseok.”_

Minseok was never good enough for them.

No matter how many prizes he won from maths competitions, his parents never accepted his passion for music.

In their eyes, Minseok was a failure.

Minseok had had enough after graduation. He had finally gathered the courage to simply disappear one night from his parents’ house and he took the first train with a bag with two changes of clothes and some money from his parents’ safe.

And he had somehow ended up renting an apartment in Seoul.

Minseok still had no idea how they found him, but at least they weren’t trying to take him back.

So as he served the starters with a fake smile and a bitter chuckle, he silently counted the seconds till he could kick them out and text Luhan.

\---

Luhan looked worried and was breathing heavily as he turned up outside Minseok’s apartment door in the high-rise building, “Are you okay? You didn’t sound too good on the ph… Oh my god!” he trailed off and instantly exclaimed once he saw Minseok’s haggard appearance.

Minseok sported several bruises across his face and across his collarbones, the rest of his body was covered by clothes that were wrinkled and dotted with some grease stains, presumably from food that was thrown.

Luhan pushed himself into the apartment and began to comfort Minseok.

It had been several months since his parents’ first visit and after that, things changed so quickly that everything was still a blur to Minseok. But that could’ve been from the hit on his head.

He and Luhan had grown close. Too close. And his parents had noticed.

It began when his mother had commented on who the man was in the selfie that Minseok had stuck to his fridge door. It got worse when his parents suddenly knocked on his apartment door and Minseok had answered the door in only a long shirt and Luhan had been behind him not wearing much more with messy hair.

It had ended when his father had found an empty condom packet in the bin in Minseok’s bedroom.

Minseok always knew his parents wouldn’t approve, but he never thought they’d hurt him this much.

Minseok didn’t want Luhan to find out, but he was never much good at lying. Luhan had quickly figured that something was wrong and seemed to leave the apartment whenever Minseok’s parents were there.

Minseok hated lying and pretending.

He hated pretending that everything was fine when it really wasn’t.

Luhan’s band had become an incredible success and he was quickly gaining popularity but Minseok still remained an employee at the café and a music student.

Minseok was so happy that he could spend most days with Luhan.

He loved going to the parks around Seoul and lying in the sun with Luhan’s head on his chest and the sky above his head.

It was on those days that he felt free and he could forget his worries and hide them in the buzz of city life.

Minseok was happy with Luhan.

But his parents weren’t and soon Minseok wasn’t safe, even in his own apartment.

Luhan had volunteered to let Minseok stay in his apartment until everything was better and Minseok could pretend that life was carefree once more when he couldn’t see his parents.

And so Minseok’s life went on.

He lived happily with Luhan and he cooked breakfast every day for the both of them before Minseok left for work or college after a small kiss from Luhan in the threshold of the apartment.

Life was good and Minseok eventually graduated with honours.

Things were going well between him and Luhan and the band was also doing incredibly well.

It seemed like everything was falling into place.

But Minseok had forgotten the fairy tales that were weaved into his brain as a young child from the various nannies he had had.

Something always goes wrong when it all appears to be perfect.

And that something came in the form of a letter one morning.

_Dear Kim Minseok,_

_You have been accepted into the Institute of Business and Foreign Affairs!_

_After reviewing your application, we recommend that you begin studying for your degree in Managing within the month at…_

And just like that, Minseok’s blindfold came off and he realised that nothing had ever been right. It had all simply been hidden.

Minseok had been blind.

\---

Luhan was hugging Minseok from behind, his head resting on his shoulder and Minseok phoned up the university.

Minseok hadn’t applied to that university so he knew it was his parents’ doing but he hadn’t told Luhan his assumption yet. He knew it would only make Luhan even more sad.

“We’re very sorry Mr Kim Minseok but your application has already been reviewed and accepted and your place has been confirmed so we cannot pull you out of the course right now.” The news hit Minseok and Luhan hard and Minseok felt Luhan hold him tighter.

“Is there absolutely no way? I didn’t apply for this course so I don’t think I should be attending.” Minseok inquired.

“The records show that you sent a letter requesting an application for the new semester 3 weeks ago from an address in Busan.” The young lady revealed after a few minutes of typing sounds.

Minseok frowned, “I don’t live in Busan, I think you may have had a false application.” He insisted and wrapped his free left hand around Luhan’s linked hands on his stomach. Luhan had his head between his shoulder blades now and was silent.

“Sir, the records say that your parents sent in your application for you since you had been busy with a school trip during the application period. Please attend the introductory class in 2 weeks at 8am. If you come into reception, someone will guide you to your class.” The lady continued.

Minseok was becoming irate, “Look, I didn’t want or apply for this so please remove me from this class!” his hand squeezed Luhan’s hands a bit too tight but Luhan didn’t mind, he knew Minseok was rightfully angry.

“Sir, we simply can’t. Like I said, please attend the first class in two weeks today at 8am. We hope to see you soon.” And she hung up.

Minseok was shaking and put the phone down on the kitchen table in front of him overlooking the morning rush of Seoul in the window.

Luhan let go of him and kissed Minseok between his shoulder blades before speaking quietly, “I’m going to get dressed and you should too. We both have to go to work soon and they wouldn’t appreciate us coming in shirtless, I don’t think.” He attempted to lift the mood with some light humour and a small chuckle but the joke only made Minseok want to laugh bitterly.

And so they resumed the morning as normal except as they got dressed they couldn’t take their sad eyes off each other and as Minseok kissed Luhan goodbye at the exit of the apartment building, they both couldn’t resist a second kiss.

They knew their days together were numbered now.

\---

The day that Minseok left, they both spent the entire morning lying in bed together. Their limbs tangled together and half covered by a duvet as they engraved each other’s taste into their very essence and memorised every pigment on their skin.

Minseok didn’t want to leave and he probably could’ve found a way to get out of going to that university, but that would only make his parents try even harder to get him into the business world. Minseok figured that if he gave in now, no one would get hurt.

That and he didn’t want Luhan to know just how easy it was for Minseok’s parents to control him. Even now in the safety of Luhan’s apartment, Minseok was still overshadowed by his parents’ large and overpowering wings.

It’s not like he was never going to see Luhan again, but the university was relatively far away and with Luhan’s busy schedule, he wouldn’t be able to visit as often as he wanted to.

But it was only a year and Minseok could survive a year. A year of no Luhan and he would get his parents off his back and spend the rest of his life with Luhan.

But things are never that simple in Minseok’s life and Minseok honestly should’ve expected this from his parents but after more than a year of Luhan, he had grown mellow and trusting.

As soon as Minseok’s taxi breached the gates of the school, Minseok recognised his parents’ car in the car park.

The taxi stopped directly outside the entrance to the reception and Minseok paid the taxi and carried his luggage inside through the automatic doors.

As he signed in he heard someone’s heels click on the floor and he was suddenly being hugged from behind, “Minseok! You made it! We’re so proud of you for being accepted in the school! It’s a really prestigious place for entrepreneurs and businessmen, you know that right?” his mother rambled in a sickeningly sweet tone as she pulled away from the awkward hug and pretended to swipe some dirt off Minseok’s shoulders.

Minseok frowned and pulled a bitter smiled as he held his mother’s hands much too tightly and conveyed his disgust with curt words, “It’s not like I had much of a choice, mother. Now I must get prepared for my first lecture.”

He didn’t bother waiting for their response and hurriedly grabbed his suitcase and was ushered by his guide up the stairs on his left labelled ‘Dorms’.

His first lecture wasn’t too boring and mostly consisted of introductions to his teachers and a brief overview of what would be happening over the year and what they would be assessed on.

It was obvious to Minseok that he was going to be calling Luhan often at night by the sound of the course since it seemed so boring.

It was as he was about to text Luhan his thoughts that Minseok realised that he had left his phone on his nightstand in his bedroom. Minseok sighed but decided to keep listening to whatever the lecturer was saying instead of distracting himself.

\---

After a frantic search of his bedroom, Minseok failed to find his phone. He asked reception to be on the lookout for a phone and returned to his room.

It was only when he started to unpack that he realised that his phone contained all of Luhan’s contact details.

Minseok hoped that his phone would be found soon.

\---

The year passed slowly without a way of contacting Luhan. Minseok soon gave up on waiting for his phone and bought a new one instead.

He only hoped that Luhan had somehow heard that his phone had been lost and it wasn’t simply Minseok ignoring him but Minseok was too logical to really believe that.

Minseok was the best in his class, just like his parents wanted, but he was lonely and he felt alone every night without a familiar body pressed against his.

His few friends had always questioned his availability and had even tried to take Minseok on group dates but he always refused on the basis of studying.

Minseok was anxious to come home to Luhan and he only hoped that Luhan was waiting for him also.

Luhan had become a huge success over the past year and had grown a huge fanbase. The Bandits were now the main act in many concerts and some members had even expanded into acting, like Kyungsoo and Luhan himself.

But Minseok couldn’t shake this feeling every time he saw a video of them performing on YouTube that Luhan looked tired and dare he say it – sad.

It seemed like Minseok wasn’t the only one feeling alone.

\---

On the day of his graduation his parents had attended and presented Minseok with the perfect speech as he accepted the award for the best results of the year.

On the day of his graduation, Minseok read an article that Luhan had found a boyfriend – a rapper by the name of Oh Sehun.

Minseok wasn’t angry, it was to be expected, but he was still upset and disappointed. He had had hoped that Luhan would wait for him like Minseok had for an entire year, but it was obvious that only Minseok had really cared.

He wished for the best for them.

Minseok didn’t turn up to deliver his speech and left the hall as soon as he had collected his diploma and headed to his room to pack.

His parents had soon found him presented him with a long letter addressed to himself.

“We’re so proud of you, Minseok. To show you how proud we are, we’ve made you the prime inheritor of the entire company. We know you can do it.” His father looked proud of himself, as if he was doing Minseok a favour.

Minseok didn’t see it that way but how could he make his father unhappy after he had finally said those words to Minseok?

He had waited for so long but finally he had made his parents proud.

\---

_“It can be revealed that the victims of the recent car crash in Seoul were the millionaire couple and owners of South Korea’s biggest entertainment company, Kim Minsoo and Kim Jihye. Memorial services are being held over the next few days but the question all of us are asking is who will step up and inherit-“_

Minseok was sick of hearing the same monotonous voices deliver the news of parents’ deaths like it was another celebrity scandal.

As if it was just news and it didn’t matter.

It was no secret amongst the higher ups in the company that Minseok was being groomed to inherit the company after spending a year in university for it and the past year gathering managerial experience in a small resort in Jeju.

It’s just that Minseok never wanted this. He wanted to rush home to Luhan after school was over but found the apartment empty.

When he asked around at the café, many people had told him that Luhan stopped performing at the café and had moved in with Sehun in a more high-end apartment in Gangnam.

As much as Minseok had wanted to go back to how it used to be, it seemed like Luhan didn’t want him back.

So he moved to Jeju and followed his parents’ wishes yet again.

This time, he would succeed.

And so when the day finally came for Minseok to inherit the company, he felt a lot more like a child playing grown-ups rather than a 27 year old entrepreneur.

\---

Luhan loved reading the business section in the paper every morning. He would read it diligently like a child reading its favourite fairy tale and scan for news of Minseok.

The past few years had been very successful for both of them. Minseok had become a huge success, even bigger than his parents, and his company seemed to have expanded into every walk of life.

Luhan’s life had been a lot more turbulent after his decision to let Minseok go. He had wanted to set Minseok free so that he could grow – Luhan knew he had the potential but Luhan had felt like he was holding him back.

So he left.

And after that, he met Sehun.

Honestly, things had been innocent between them at first but Luhan had felt so lonely and depressed that he gave in to Sehun’s advances.

He didn’t regret it, but he did miss Minseok.

He was proud that he got to be Minseok’s lover, even if it had only been for a year. What they had had was special and no one was ever going to make him feel as good as Minseok.

But Luhan knew Minseok was no longer his.

Luhan was the leader of the biggest band of the decade and Minseok was the biggest entrepreneur of the decade. They lived in two separate worlds.

Kyungsoo, Chanyeol, and Jongdae hadn’t been happy at first. They all knew that Luhan loved and always would love Minseok if their queasy smiles shared throughout band practise were anything to go by.

So they were surprised to find out that Luhan and Sehun were an item.

Sehun wasn’t bad. He just wasn’t what Luhan wanted or needed.

Anyone with a brain could tell that Luhan wasn’t into the relationship nearly as much as Sehun was.

Chanyeol knew that Sehun could tell that Luhan had someone else in his heart, but neither cared.

\---

Luhan had had enough of knowing about Minseok through the media.

He wanted to hear news from Minseok’s mouth itself.

He wanted Minseok to run his fingers through his hair like he had always loved.

He wanted to hear Minseok’s light laughter and see his beloved gummy smile that he had grown so fond of.

Luhan needed to find him, but he had no idea how.

But he knew one way to start – Minseok’s company.

\---

Minseok loved watching his music videos.

Recently, Luhan had started to look happy again. Minseok guessed it had something to do with the fact that he was no longer with Sehun and that little fact made him a little happy.

Minseok would stay up late into the night reviewing the figures of his company, checking for errors, finding loopholes, reviewing actions, and making plans, but he always played Luhan’s albums.

His favourite was The Bandits’ debut album, Primrose Summer. Minseok had fond memories of helping Luhan compose the title track as they both couldn’t take their hands off each other.

It seemed so long ago to Minseok now.

He had been 25 and now he was already 29 and the media was beginning to speculate about who he was going to marry.

Minseok had become a bit of a celebrity despite only being a businessman for his youthful looks. And the magazines loved gossip.

Such as last month when he went for a business meeting with a female CEO, ChaeLin, and the next day the papers were filled with rumours of a secret marriage.

Minseok knew he should be looking for someone at his age but he had yet to let go of Luhan. A part of him told him it was ridiculous since it was so long ago and only a small year amongst many.

But Minseok had a feeling that he was the one for him. And so Minseok waited.

For what? He couldn’t tell you. But he did know that he loved watching Luhan play the guitar so skilfully and sing the songs they composed together in their old apartment.

\---

Luhan was frustrated.

The various secretaries he had talked to refused to allow him to speak to the CEO.

He had been trying for months and had even arranged for a meeting that was mysteriously cancelled and began to suspect that Minseok didn’t want to see him.

It had been such a long time after all and everyone knew about Sehun.

Luhan didn’t want to think that maybe Minseok had given up after Sehun appeared.

But still he visited the company whenever he could and sat in the waiting room, waiting to be called for a meeting that would never happen.

“Luhan? Is Luhan here?” a loud voice sounded and Luhan jumped at the sound of his name being called.

“Y-yes?” he hadn’t expected to be called.

“CEO Kim Minseok’s office is this way.” The tall blond man gestured to a white hallway and Luhan momentarily realised what he had just done.

He stood up and suddenly couldn’t speak.

The man lifted his eyebrows and led the way, “If anyone asks, Kris sent you up. I couldn’t stand seeing you there every day being rejected.” He eyed Luhan from the corner of his eyes and Luhan blinked and nodded, “Thank you…”

Kris continued walking forward, “Anyways, they weren’t even passing up the message. Honestly, they just don’t like it when stars from other companies come in.” he chuckled slightly.

Luhan’s eyes widened for a moment and he looked down and nodded.

“Here it is… Enjoy!” he pointed at the only door at the end of the corridor that was painted black without windows and then walked back out of the corridor.

Luhan gulped and knocked on the door.

His throat felt dry and constricted and he found himself trying to not run away.

He jolted when a very familiar sweet voice sounded in his eyes, “Come in!”

It was a voice he hadn’t heard in years that wasn’t from a recording.

Luhan twisted the doorknob and stepped in quickly and closed the door behind him.

He turned to face his right where the desk was and he heard a pen drop.

“Luhan?” Minseok sounded breathless and Luhan hoped that it was because of joy and not anger.

Luhan couldn’t hold back his tears anymore.

“M-Minseok?”

 


	2. Beginnings

“M-Minseok?”

Minseok’s eyes widened and Luhan felt his eyes moisten with the unshed tears of many years of waiting.

Minseok gulped and Luhan noticed his hands had begun to shake and the documents in his hands had gained new creases.

“Sit down, Luhan.” Minseok breathed after a few moments of tense silence and pointed to the couple of chairs arranged in front of his desk.

Luhan nodded with his eyes to the floor in front of him, closed the door behind him as he moved into the room, and sat as Minseok had requested.

The room was silent yet again for a few seconds whilst both men arranged sentences of apology and redemption in their heads.

Both wanted to go back to the days of naïve happiness when the only tasks that needed to be done were the music compositions.

But both also wanted an explanation for the other’s disappearance.

For a few minutes they both had their eyes glued to the other’s eyes; mouths opening every few seconds and breaths being taken, as if about to speak but no sounds were heard.

Eventually, Luhan broke the silence.

“Why did you never call back?”

Minseok froze and he looked towards the large window that spanned the entire wall overlooking the cityscape.

He took a deep breath and exhaled as he turned to look into Luhan’s eyes with a pleading gaze.

“I don’t know what happened but the day I got into the academy, my phone disappeared. I couldn’t find it anywhere and all your contact details were on there.”

He paused for a moment and clenched his fists, “I suspect my parents did it… I think we both know that they wanted me to concentrate on my studies and they already disapproved of our relationship.” He trailed off.

Luhan nodded and pondered Minseok’s words for a few seconds, “But why couldn’t you contact me? You could have easily contacted my agency!” he sounded exasperated.

Minseok shut his eyes tightly and shook his head from side to side, “Luhan, it wasn’t that simple!” his volume increased.

Luhan jumped at Minseok’s tone of voice. He had never heard such a tone from him.

“My parents were watching my every move! If I had contacted you, they would’ve made your life hell once they found you… I didn’t want you to suffer because of me!” Minseok’s voice turned quieter and sounded strained with a twinge of sadness.

Luhan released a trembling gasp as Minseok’s eyes glistened and tears began to fall. He hurried to cover his face to hide his tears and Luhan felt a yearning to wipe them but held back. There would be time for that later, if Minseok still wanted him.

“I was going to contact you the day I graduated but then I heard from someone that you were dating Oh Sehun…” Minseok’s voice trailed off.

“I assumed you had moved on and found someone else, so I did what I thought you wanted.” He removed his hands from his face and revealed a sad smile with red, glistening eyes.

“I let you be happy and I made my parents proud. I thought it was what everyone wanted…” Minseok began to whisper with his eyes seemingly glued to his lap.

“I thought that if I made my parents proud, I would eventually be happy with my decision and I wouldn’t yearn so much.” He looked up at Luhan once more.

“But I was wrong, Luhan. So, so wrong.”

The tears continued to flow.

Luhan couldn’t hold back his emotions anymore and he reached out for Minseok’s hands.

Luhan was sobbing and he hiccupped every few seconds, “It’s okay now, Minseok. Everything is okay now. We’ll make everything work again, just like we did before.”

Luhan wasn’t trying to convince just Minseok.

They both wiped each other’s tears as the quiet sobs resounded through the large modern office.

Both men, now grown and mature and longer as naïve as they once were, wished for a brighter and happier future.

They had both made mistakes and assumptions which caused their paths to be distorted.

But like all of their previous compositions, their song needed an end and a new song had begun to be written.

A song of hope and passion.

“Let’s make everything right again, Minseok.”

“Let’s start again, Luhan.”

\---

_“Beginning”:_ _the first part or earliest stage of something._

###  " the ending of one relationship and the beginning of another"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Beginning”: the first part or earliest stage of something.
> 
> The ending of one relationship and the beginning of another.


End file.
